


Latibule

by whiffingbooks



Series: Eleusinian Mysteries (or the things untold) [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Audrey and Percy meet for the first time, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Drabble, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, POV Percy Weasley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 18:16:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19382104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiffingbooks/pseuds/whiffingbooks
Summary: When Percy finds out about his dad's attack, he ponders aimlessly until he enters a quaint cafe in London.(Or how I imagine Percy and Audrey met for the first time).





	Latibule

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! 
> 
> Thank you for reading this drabble! I've always been intrigued by the obscure Audrey Weasley and this is the result of brainstorming for countless hours.  
> Have fun and don't forget to give feedback!

Bill’s letter nearly knocks him off his feet. He struggles to breathe for a second; his being overwhelmed by the concern, anger and guilt. His flat feels empty but the four walls seem to shrink as the moments pass by. He re-reads the letter.

_Percy,_

_Dad was attacked. He’s in St. Mungos right now. His condition is stable but he is still quite weak._

_I know you’re angry at him but please come. We all want to see you. It’s our Dad._

_I hope you make the right decision._

_Bill._

The bile rises in his throat but he forces it down. He knows Dad was attacked. It was the talk of the Ministry. When he had entered his office, the Minister immediately approached him. He asked him about his father’s condition and all Percy could do was stare blankly at him.  _So you didn’t know?_  Fudge had appeared concerned. No he didn’t know. He was informed about his father’s after work activities and how he was attacked while loitering after hours.

Embarrassment and concern over his father’s conduct had threatened to overwhelm him.

And now Bill’s letter seemed to be a chastisement. As if he’s wrong.  _What if you are?_  A voice he has been ignoring for ages chimed in. He ignored it.

Picking up his cloak, he hurries out of his flat. However, he has no intention of going to his father. They are lying. They must be. After spending all these months brewing over the circumstances leading to his departure, he refuses to change his mind. Harry Potter is an attention-seeking teenager who is sending the Wizarding World into a frenzy backed by Dumbledore. What if he’s right though? The voice perks up yet again.  _What if you abandoned your family for the sake of the Ministry and the Ministry turns out to be wrong?_  No, he can’t afford to think that. That will mean his leaving was futile and he doesn’t think he can survive that.

His Mum’s face flashes in front of his eyes, sending a jolt of pain through his heart. He has to escape the confines of this building before he does something he regrets. Before even reaching the alley nearby, he turns without a clear destination in his mind. A swooping sensation engulfs him and for a split second, he worries about splinching himself before abandoning the thought altogether. He doesn’t care.

He lands in a desolate alley. He’s confused whether this is the same one but it is littered with garbage. Fortunately no one notices him when he steps out onto the street. He is still in London and after asking a pedestrian, he finds out he is just a few streets away. Why am I here? According to Laws of Apparition, if a person is travelling aimlessly without a destination in mind but has the two D’s right, he might find himself in a place his heart is yearning to be in. But this street is completely unknown to him.

The darkness nearly blinds him as he moves aimlessly down the street. A few passerby laugh at his attire; he pays them no attention. His thoughts are lost and scattered, a feeling quite unfamiliar to him.  _Is that how Harry felt when he found out about the Ministry being against him?_  No, he won’t think that. The boy must be lying. Then why is he still worrying about him?

His father’s pale face comes to his mind but he pushes through. He doesn’t want to think about any of his parents or siblings. They have hurt him. Not now. Later on when he’s safely cocooned in his bed, he’ll shed a few tears. But he doesn’t have the strength to do anything now.

“Are you lost?” A sharp voice cuts through his thoughts like a knife. He darts his gaze away from the pavement to a round, friendly face. A woman stands before him with concern etched on her face.

“Excuse me?” His voice sounds hoarse from disuse.

The woman scratches her head. “You just entered the shop and stood there for like five minutes without speaking. I didn’t know whether to call the police or the hospital.” Her lips quirked at that.

Percy shockingly takes in his surroundings. He is in a quaint café. It is a small one with a few tables and chairs scattered around, adorned with tulips. The theme seems to be brown because everything has a wooden touch. The scent of tea wafts through and suddenly he feels a pricking in his eyes.

Her face loses the amusement it held before. “Are you okay?”

He had planned on returning to his flat but he doesn’t want to. No one is waiting for him back at his place. Here, there is the familiarity of the Burrow where he will probably never be welcomed. Additionally the woman seems so kind. She looks like she’s a little older than him but her concern seems to be touching and everything he needs now.

“I walked out on my family and today I heard my father landed himself in the hospital,” the words rush out and he braces himself from being chastised for his mistake.

But no rebuke comes. The woman looks understanding and gestures to him. “Come on now. I’ll make you a cuppa and we’ll talk all about it. But first tell me, what is your name?”

He wants to be careful. You don’t know who she is. However, he feels like he can trust her. She seems warm and welcoming all of the things his life has been missing lately. “Percy Weasley.”

Her eyebrow cocks up and she sends him a brilliant grin. His insides flutter at her response. “That’s an unusual surname if I say so. But then again who am I to judge? My name is Audrey Maheshwari-Weaver. Glad to be of service.”

And from there, a story begins.


End file.
